


Family: Old and New

by tiredvampire



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Healing, M/M, Other, Platonic Relationships, boomers using technology, ex coworkers, some romantic tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:40:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27730921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiredvampire/pseuds/tiredvampire
Summary: Vincent Valentine gets his old partner's phone number from Tseng, Cid helps him learn how to work smartphones, and he and Veld rekindle their friendship.
Relationships: Cid Highwind/Vincent Valentine
Kudos: 14





	1. North Crater

Tseng awoke with a gasp. His body was freezing cold, and aching. He way laying on his back in the snow. His vision was still blurry, but he could feel someone standing over him, a hand on his shoulder. He assumed it was one of the remnants of Sephiroth. Immediately he lashed out in a panic. Something hard and sharp gripped his arm like a vice. As his vision came into focus he realized it wasn’t one of the silver haired men. It was a blurry image of black and red before him. Looking over at his wrist, still being gripped, he could see it was some sort of golden armor wrapped around it.

“You need to stay still. You’re gravely injured.” A deep voice commanded.

“Vincent…Vincent Valentine?” Tseng questioned, as the pale face of the man in front of him became clearer. The red garb and black hair were a dead giveaway.

“Forgive me, but have we met before?” 

“No, but it’s my job to know everything about the people who saved the world from meteor.” Nodding at this sufficient answer, Vincent returned to bandaging the wound on his shoulder. Suddenly, Tseng sat up, clearly panicked. “Elena!”

“She’ll live. I’ve already taken care of her. Let her rest.”

Laying back, Tseng sighed with relief. He had watched the remnants torture her first, however, once they realized she didn’t know the president’s whereabouts, they turned to him. Suddenly the gravity of what had happened came flooding into his mind. They knew Rufus had Jenova’s head and wanted to know where both were. He grit his teeth, the shame and self-hatred he felt was immeasurable. How could he have betrayed Rufus like that? He’s supposed to be a Turk, a tool, a weapon, a strong willed individual who doesn’t crack under any circumstances.

“Am I hurting you?” Vincent noticed Tseng’s clenched fist and gritted teeth.

“Oh, no. Forgive me…I was reflecting on the sin I just committed.”

“Sin?” Vincent finished securing the bandage and held up his healing materia to the wound.

“Yes. I-I gave up the president’s location. I was weak.”

“So they were after the president?”

“Yes, well they want Jenova’s remains. However, Rufus has them, which means now they…” Tseng trailed off. He couldn’t bear to imagine the horrible torture they might put Rufus through. He was already suffering from geostigma, his body might not be able to take much more.

“Hm, did they say where they were headed next?” Vincent moved up to the severe wound on Tseng’s head. Dried blood had coated his face by now.

“They did say something about the forgotten capital—ow!” He winced as the sting of antiseptic burned on his wound. 

“I’m sorry…” Vincent continued cleaning the bloody mess along his hairline.

“No no, I deserve it. This is a fitting punishment for all my sins I suppose.”

“Heh…” Vincent laughed softly to himself.

“What’s so funny?” Tseng felt slightly annoyed at the laughter.

“You sound exactly like me. Or at least how I used to sound.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Always clinging to the past. Past sins. Past regrets. What you could have done differently. It’s difficult to move on, but it’s more difficult to hold onto those feelings. Trust me.”

“How can you just forget your sins?” Tseng sighed heavily. The list of sins he had committed greatly outnumbered this man’s. He had covered up corporate greed and depravity, turned a blind eye to Hojo’s crimes against humanity, and personally committed war crimes in the name of Shinra. 

“I said nothing of forgetting them. I suggested that you move on. If you have friends and people you care about that’s what matters. You clearly care about her,” Vincent gestured to Elena, still resting unconsciously a few feet away from them. “You care for your president I take it?”

Tseng felt a pang in his chest. “Yes…” It was true, he cared for all the Turks, and the president most of all. Even when Rufus offered him the chance to leave and live a normal, happy life, Tseng wholeheartedly refused to leave his service. 

“Then hold onto those people in your life. Those moments.” 

The two went silent a moment, Vincent finished cleaning the blood from his head to assess the severity of the wound. Tseng knew he was right. Thoughts of those he cared about now flooded his mind. Suddenly, he recalled his old mentor, Veld. 

“Wait, Vincent Valentine…you were a Turk weren’t you?” Tseng remembered Veld mentioning having a partner who had disappeared. He wasn’t sure it could be the same man, considering Veld was in his sixties now, but that name was unmistakable. 

“Yes. How do you know that?” Vincent stopped and stared at him, a bit surprised. He figured the only person who remembered that was dead, by his own hands no less.

“My old mentor, I believe he was your partner.”

“My partner? Veld?”

“Yes! That’s him! He’s been looking for you for ages.”

Returning to bandaging Tseng’s head, Vincent sighed. “Well he found me.”

“He did?”

“Yes, it was a few years ago now, he woke me during my slumber. He was disappointed that I wouldn’t join him, however at the time I never wanted to see humans, or the light of day ever again, so I returned to sleep.”

Tseng wasn’t completely sure what he meant by slumber, but it seemed like the two hadn’t been in contact other than that moment. “I’m sure he’d like to catch up with you, now that you’re…out in the world. I talk to him occasionally on the phone. I can give you his cell.”

“His cell?” Vincent was obviously confused.

“Like, his phone number?” Tseng attempted to pull his cell phone out of his breast pocket, but grunted from the pain, and stopped. 

“Oh, I see. I don’t have a phone.”

“Don’t have a phone? You really are an old man aren’t you?” Tseng realized how odd this was. “Wait, if you were a Turk in Veld’s day, why haven’t you aged?”

“Hojo.”

“Ah…say no more.” Tseng closed his eyes, trying to shut out the screams and pleas of SOLDIER’s and civilians alike being dragged to the deepest levels of Shinra’s labs.

“I thought you said it was your job to know everything about me?” Vincent’s comment was sarcastic, but he face was icy and without expression. He finished wrapping Tseng’s head and pulled out the healing materia once more. Tseng closed his eyes as the green orb’s light shone directly in them. 

“Is it really okay to move on?” Tseng whispered.

“Do you want those you care about to feel the same? Constantly agonizing over the past?” Putting away the materia, Vincent stood up and began stowing his healing items back in his gear. 

Tseng instantly thought of Rufus. On quiet nights, when he and Tseng would stay up working into the night, Rufus would begin spiraling into self doubt and hatred. Seeing the president like this crushed Tseng. It wasn’t much, but all he could do was console him and give him a shoulder to cry on. “Y-you’re right. I’ll try. For his sake.”

“Hmph. Alright, I need to head to the forgotten capital. But first let me use your phone to call for help. Your phone is in your breast pocket? I saw you try reaching there earlier.”

“Yes, take it.” Tseng instructed.

Vincent used his non-armored hand to pick his pocket. “Okay, now what?”

“Press the bottom button, then tap the little icon that looks like a spiral notebook. Then, tap the name that says ‘Reno’ to dial that number.” Tseng watched as he fumbled with the device. He almost felt like laughing, but, given the circumstances he stifled himself.

Hearing the phone begin to ring, he held it to his face. 

“HELLO!? BOSS!?” Came a loud voice on the other end.

“Tseng is injured and can’t come to the phone, however, I have stabilized both he and Elena. Please come pick them up at the North Crater where you left them.”

“Wha!? Hello—“ Vincent held the phone away from his face and tapped the red icon. He could at least guess that would end the call.

“Thank you Vincent.” Tseng held out his hand weakly for the phone. Handing the phone back, Vincent turned to leave. “Wait, his phone number. Veld’s I mean.”

“Oh, yes. Let me write it down…” Vincent pulled a small notebook from his pocket, and readied a pencil.


	2. Rocket Town

Stomping up the dirt road, Vincent found himself in Rocket Town. The little town didn’t exactly live up to its namesake anymore, with the rocket having long since been launched into space. Now it was just another quiet backwoods mountain town. Vincent didn’t prefer to visit the town. It looked too similar to Nibelheim for comfort, and on top of that it was only a couple hours away from where he met his impermanent end. Perhaps that was why he chose not to stay in Rocket Town with Cid after the group had disbanded. 

Arriving at Cid’s home, Vincent stood staring at the wooden door with some reservations. It had been quite some time since he had visited Cid at his house instead of on his airship. He had even seen him a few days ago in Edge during the struggle against the remnants, however, so much happened they didn’t get much time to catch up. Prior to Edge, they had barely spoken since parting ways. Now that he had a cellphone, Vincent decided to use it as the perfect excuse to call on Cid. Pulling his cellphone out and staring at it with determination, Vincent rapped on the door with the back of his metal arm.

Shera answered the front door, as usual her face lit up at the sight of him. “Oh Vincent! Come in, come in. If you’re looking for Cid he’s out back.”

Vincent figured Cid would be in his workshop, he always was. “Thank you.” 

Quietly, he made his way through the house and out the back door to the work space. It looked the same as it had when he had first met Cid years ago. It was messy to foreign eyes, but Cid insisted he knew where everything was. Plans and papers were scattered everywhere. An ashtray overloaded with cigarette butts. Various lances and spears were mounted on the walls, now gathering dust. The moss covered, rotting husk of metal that housed the rocket was still a few yards away from the backyard. The Tiny Bronco was now parked in the yard again. Underneath Fenrir’s wide metal body, Cid’s legs poked out. As usual, he was making a racket swearing and huffing as he worked on the vehicle. 

“Captain?” 

“Wha?!” He jolted up startled, the sound of his tool bouncing off of his head and onto the floor made a loud, metallic thud. Scrambling from under the bike, he was red in the face. Vincent couldn’t tell if it was from rage, or the tool hitting him in the face. “Who in the hell—!” Cid cut his flurry of curse words short as he realized who had interrupted him. “Vinnie don’t go scarin’ a man like that for cryin’ out loud!”

“Thought you’d recognize my voice.”

“Well damnit, I can’t tell when I’m concentratin’! Anyways, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“I wanted to visit…I also know you to be a tech-savvy man.” Vincent pulled his shiny new phone out.

“Oh-ho! My boy finally came into the twenty-first century! But, wait, are you askin’ me to teach you how to use that thing?” Cid scratched his head, a bit disappointed. Embarrassed, Vincent nodded and stowed the phone again. “Well, awright then.” Cid walked over and sat on a large piece of scrap metal in the shed, Vincent followed. “C’mon don’t be a stranger, sit down ya damn fool!” He grabbed Vincent by the wrist and pulled him down onto the make-shift bench next to him. “Okay, uh, whaddya need?” Cid pulled out his pack of cigarettes and shook one out.

“Hm, I thought you quit?” Vincent squinted at the red and white package.

“Shit, gotta call me out huh? Yeah, I did for a while, but you know me…”

“And I thought I was going to leave here without smelling like smoke for once.”

“Will you just get on with it!” Cid slipped the cigarettes under his goggle strap and snapped it onto his head a little too hard.

Tapping in his code to unlock the phone, Vincent handed it to Cid. “How do I…put in people's phone numbers?”

“Uh, how long you had this thing Vinnie?” Cid stared at the phone, shocked at how barren it was.

“A couple of days.”

“Couldn’ta had Cloud or Tifa show ya?”

“I wanted you to show me.” Vincent looked away bashfully. He wasn’t trying to be obvious.

Smiling, Cid shook his head. “Okay, well I’ll show you the first time, but I want you to put the rest in yerself.”

“Alright. Show me then. The first contact should be Cloud.” Pulling a paper out with various names and numbers, he leaned in close to watch as Cid worked the device with ease.

“Okay, there, did ya catch all that?” He forced the phone back into Vincent’s hand.

“I think so, okay, let me try…” He began typing Tifa’s name and number into the phone. Cid let out a loud and exaggerated sniffle. “Yes Cid?”

“Oh, uh nuthin’ just thought you’d put my name in before Tifa.” He inhaled from his cigarette and blew the smoke to the side, away from Vincent.

“You want to be my second contact?”

“I mean, I think I deserve it more than her.”

“Alright, fine, what’s your number then?”

Grinning wide, Cid snatched the phone and put his name and number in it. He handed it back to Vincent with an impish grin.

“Cid, what is this?” Vincent frowned at the phone.

“What’s what?”

“You put a tiny picture of an airship and a heart next to your name. How did you do that? Take it off.”

“Nope. You’re keepin’ it like that.” He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee.

“Fine. Okay, next…” Vincent began to type Tifa’s name into the phone again. Cid looked over at the paper with his contacts. He saw the usual suspects, Reeve, Yuffie etc… But one name caught his eye that he didn’t recognize. 

“Who’s Veld?” 

“Oh, he’s my old partner from the Turks.”

“Hm, you uh, don’t say…” He tried to sound casual, but couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous for some reason.

“What is it now Cid?” Vincent lowered the phone and the paper, staring at him.

Shifting uncomfortably on the large piece of metal, Cid stared out into the yard at Fenrir. “You just never mentioned him before.”

“Well I never really talked about my old job so of course I wouldn’t. Honestly, don’t tell me you’re jealous of some old coworker.”

“Coworker! This ain’t some corporate Shinra desk job. Don’t Turks come in pairs? Those two numb-nuts are palin’ around together wherever they go! Y’know, red and baldy!”

Vincent stood up and walked over to Cloud’s bike, examining it. “You aren’t wrong. However, there’s really nothing to be jealous of.” He ran his fingers over the sleek, black paint. “It’s been a few years since we’ve seen each other and I was going to try contacting him.”

Sighing, Cid stood up and joined him next to the bike. “I’ll fly ya there.”

“What?” He looked up from the bike, a bit surprised.

“If you guys wanna meet up, I’ll fly ya there. I don’t got anything else to do.”

“That would be nice…” 

“Awright! Then get to textin’ him!” Cid pumped his fist enthusiastically.

“To doing what now?”

Almost losing his balance at this comment, Cid steadied himself. “Ya don’t know how to text either?”

“No?”

“Criminy! You’re worse than my old man!”


	3. Gongaga

Vincent disliked hot and dry places, however, he had agreed to meet Veld in Gongaga. Having been there a few times before, he had a certain distaste for the town. First of all, it could hardly be called a town. More than half of the townsfolk had been killed by the reactor explosion years prior and few new faces had moved into the village since. The scenery was somewhat rural and baren. Being in the middle of the desert, it was home to dry brush, and skinny, thorny trees that had adapted to the harsh landscape. A massive graveyard took up half of the town, Vincent assumed it was for all those who died in the reactor meltdown. 

Veld had told him to meet him at the old reactor’s ruins. It was central, and an easy to find eyesore. As Vincent walked the dusty trail, he began to feel a bit nervous about their meeting. So much had changed since they were partners back in Midgar. Would they even be the same? What would they talk about? Vincent didn’t exactly know how to tell Veld that he was technically dead.

A buzz in his pocket snapped him out of his anxious thoughts. Pulling his phone out he saw the message previewed on the screen. 

[ Hey if there’s an item shop get me some cigarettes ;) ]

Fumbling with the the lock screen, Vincent managed to get the messenger open and reply.

[ No. ]

He watched the thought bubble appear, something Cid explained to him meant the other person was typing.

[ :( ]

Vincent couldn’t understand Cid’s obsession with what he called kaomoji. Unable to think of a response to the frowning face, he slid the phone back into his pocket.

He could see the burnt out corpse of the old reactor in front of him. Rubble and debris were scattered around the area. It didn’t look like too many people had bothered to come clean up the disaster. 

“Hey! Vincent! Over here!” Came a gruff shout. Crimson eyes scanned the cluttered area. Sitting on a large cylindrical piece of what looked like an old mako pump, was Veld waving to him. He was wearing a turtle-neck, a blazer, and slacks, all of which were black. Smoke from a cigarette in his hand coiled around him.Vincent was surprised at how oddly Turk-like he still looked all these years later. His appearance hadn’t changed much since seeing him leaning over the coffin in the Shinra mansion’s basement. That same shoulder length brown hair, with streaks of white in it. The scars on his face. They were indicators that he was having it just as rough as Vincent over the past thirty years. 

“Hello.” Vincent stalked up to the pile of metal.

“Come here old friend!” Veld stood up and abruptly hugged him. Arms dangling at his sides, Vincent slowly lifted them to pat him on the back awkwardly. “Still not a hugger? Some things never change do they?” He broke out of the hug, however, he rested his right hand on Vincent’s red-clad shoulder.

“Some certainly don’t.” He had forgotten how touchy-feely Veld was.

“Well, let’s get out of this heat, here let me show you where I’ve been living.” Squeezing his shoulder, Veld led him away from the reactor’s remains. The two headed up the path into the small town. Most of the houses were boarded up and condemned. On the edge of the cliff overlooking the reactor, was a house in surprisingly good shape. Veld led Vincent inside. 

It was a modest home, clearly furnished and abandoned by the previous owner. Gesturing for Vincent to take a seat on a wooden stool, Veld sat down himself. “Alright, first thing’s first. I’d like to thank you.”

“Thank me?” Vincent was already confused.

“Yes, for helping Tseng.”

“Oh, no need to thank me.”

Ashing his now burnt down cigarette, Veld shook his head. “No, no. He’s like my son, so it really means a lot to me that you looked after him like that.”

“It’s nothing. Really.”

“So, how long’s it been? Three decades?” He chuckled.

“You woke me in the basement if you recall, so it hasn’t been that long.”

“Well that doesn’t count. I was going through an ordeal. I was so stressed out I guess I didn’t really give much thought as to why you were down there or,” He gestured to Vincent’s get-up. “Why you were dressed like this.” 

As he gestured, Vincent noticed his left hand was silver and robotic. “Your arm, when did that happen?” He cut in.

“Oh? This? Well, tell me about yours first.” He pointed to Vincent’s mirror arm. Vincent could hear sadness in his voice. It must be a sore spot.

“This is simply armor. It has to do with my condition.” Lifting the gauntlet up, he flexed the golden talons open.

“Condition?”

“You are aware that I was declared dead in Nibelheim thirty years ago?” 

Veld nodded somberly.

“Well, I will tell you the truth of what happened. Hojo shot me and I was turned into one of his experiments. I have several entities living inside me. The armor restricts one of them.”

Gulping nervously at the mention of Hojo, Veld put his cigarette out in the ash tray. “Is that why you haven’t aged a day?”

“Yes. I died from those experiments, this body is nothing more than a walking husk filled with demons.” 

Veld looked him in the eyes, almost studying to see if it was really Vincent. “How can you say that so casually?”

“I don’t mind it anymore. This body has its uses.”

“I’m sorry… If I had only known sooner—I-I didn’t…” He stopped himself. His eyes were beginning to water. “I feel responsible.”

“Why? You weren’t there when I was shot. Or dissected.”

“Well, I had been to the mansion before I found you in the basement…I knew about all the human experiments he was doing. I even…” He paused, clenching the fist on his robotic arm. “I even personally delivered test subjects to the lab…”

Vincent closed his eyes. He knew he should be shocked and appalled, however, no such emotions came. Finally, he looked into Veld’s tear-filled eyes again. “You were just following orders.”

Veld looked back at him, surprised at the understanding. 

“I made the same mistake once.” He looked at Veld’s silver hand poking out of his jacket sleeve. “Now that I’ve told you about mine, tell me about yours.”

“Oh, yes…this…” He paused, trying to collect himself. “As you said, I was just following orders. I lost my family and this arm as a result. I guess we’re both pretty fucked up old guys aren’t we?” He tried to deflect the trauma with humor. 

Sighing at the joke, Vincent could tell Veld didn’t want to elaborate any further. “So, what do you do now?”

“I mostly just farm and live off the land here. The people remaining in this town have learned to live without mako energy for years. I figured this is the perfect place to stay as far away from my problems as possible. Of course, I still collect intel for the WRO whenever I can.”

“The WRO huh? Reeve’s been asking me to help them for a while now.”

“I think you should Vincent!” Veld stood up excitedly. “Wait, hold on I just remembered something!” Abruptly, he ran into another room in the house. Vincent could hear his muffled voice still talking. “Now where did I put it…I think you’ll like this…Aha! Here it is!” Running back into the room, he held out a small piece of paper triumphantly. Vincent looked at it more closely as he held it in his face. It was an old photograph of the two. They were both young and wearing their black Turk suits. Vincent was smiling bashfully and throwing up a piece sign, while Veld had him in a friendly choke-hold. 

Gently, Vincent took the picture with his leather-gloved hand. “I can’t believe it. I didn’t know there were any photographs of me left?” 

“I know right? I don’t have that many myself.” Putting his hands in his pockets, Veld shrugged. “Why don’t you keep it?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. I held onto it all these years hoping I’d find out what happened to you…partner.”

The old title struck Vincent. He hadn’t heard that word in a long time. “Thank you.” Was all he could muster. Careful not to fold it, Vincent tucked the photograph against his chest inside his shirt.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm going with the remake continuity of using smart phones instead of old flip phones.


End file.
